Deer Isle driver charged after allegedly falling out of car that ends up on a house deck

DEER ISLE, Maine — A local man is facing charges after losing control of a car and then falling out of the vehicle as it went off the road and ended up on the deck of a house on Route 15, according to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.

Heath Steele, 31, is accused of then getting back into the 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe and driving off, according to an incident summary Deputy Travis Frost wrote about the March 1 incident, which happened around 5:45 p.m.

Richard Bishop, chief deputy of the sheriff’s department, said Monday that the owner of the Little Deer Isle house where the accident happened was driving behind Steele on Route 15 and witnessed it. The homeowner got the license plate of the Tahoe and reported it to police, who then went to Steele’s home. Steele confessed to Frost that he had been behind the wheel of the wayward vehicle and then was taken to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital for treatment of a head laceration, according to Bishop.

Bishop said the car went through some trees by the side of the road before ending up on the deck, which was damaged by the sport-utility vehicle. He said he did not have monetary damage estimates for the deck or the Tahoe, which had damage to its front passenger side headlight and bumper. Bishop said the damage to the SUV is believed to be more than $1,000.

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Steele has been summoned on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, according to police.